Tobacco-hanger



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

- W. S. WOOTTON.

TOBAGGO HANGER No. 403,819. Patented May 21 1889.

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N. Firms muwuflwxnnmr, Washington, D. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. S. WOOTTON. TOBACCO HANGER.

No. 403,819. Patented May 21 1889.v

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Ul\l ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAIWI S. \VOOTTON, OF SCOTTSBURG, VIRGINIA.

TOBACCO-HANGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,819, dated May 21, 1889. Application filedApril 13, 1888. Serial No. 270,521. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, W'ILL IAM S. WOOTTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scottsburg, in the county of Halifax and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Hangers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

' It is the object of my invent-ion to provide a simple yet effective means whereby tobacco may be conveniently, rapidly, and cheaply strung and hung for curing. IVhile dispensing with the old method of supporting the tobacco-sticks which carry the stalks or leaves and providing a more convenient and desirable means for holding such sticks, it is nevertheless important that the latter means shall be adapted to tobacco-curing barns as they are now generally constructed.

IVhile my invention may be employed to hang tobacco on the stalk, if that method of curing be preferred, it is especially adapted for hanging the individual leaves. This latter method is generally the more desirable, and I shall describe my invention in connec tion therewith.

My invention is also directed, while providing a secure means for hanging single leaves, to avoiding the use of metal where it would come in contact with the tobacco-stems and be corroded and roughened thereby. Metal rods or wires designed to pierce the stems and hold the leaves during the curing'process are objectionable on account of the gumming and rusting caused by the juices of the stem.

In order to make my invention more clearly understood, I have shown in the accompanying drawings a means for carrying the same into effect.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tobacco-barn of ordinary construction illustrating the use of my invention, one side thereof being removed. Fig. 2 is a broken plan view, showing the arrangement of supports on the upper tiers and the application of my hangers to such supports. Fig. 3 is a front view of one of my hangers and a portion of the next. Fig. at is a side View of the same with leaves thereon. Fig. 5 is a broken vertical sectional view of a portion of one of the hangers. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 illustrate by horizontal section, side View, and end view, respectively, my preferred means for confining the lower ends of the hangers. Fig.

9 is a view showing the manner of attaching the leaf-holding cord to the ends of the tobacco-stick. Fig. 10 is a front view of one of said sticks loaded.

Referring to the drawings, A represents an ordinary tobacco-barn in section, the section being taken at right angles to the tiers. The latter are shown at a a a a a a and are adapted to support the ordinary tobaccosticks in a horizontal position, extending from one beam or member to another of the same tier. In carrying out my invention only onepreferably the upper, a-of such tiers need be used to support the tobacco, and the lower tiers may be cut away or utilized in place of a step-ladder for climbing up to apply my hangers to-the upper tier. 7

In constructing a new barn for my invention the tiers a, a a a, and a would be omitted and considerable expense saved.

D is a support orsocket secured to the floor and adapted to temporarily hold an upright,

F, loosely, but in a vertical position.

S are the tobacco-sticks, secured at their middles to the upright, and situated at right angles to the same. I prefer to provide each upright with three sticks, as shown.

The support D is used simply to hold the upright While its sticks are being filled with leaves, and should be of such height as to keep the leaves of the lower stick off the floor. The sticks may be'secured to the uprights in any desired manner, as bypassing them endwise through a centralmortise in the upright but I prefer to be able to apply them with their load of leaves laterally to the upright. To this end the latter is mortisedout on its front or rear side, as indicated in Fig. 4, and the sticks are held in place in the mortises by turn screws or buttons (7,. Other forms of clamps may be employed'for this purpose.

sis a recess or groove in which the cord lies at the point where the stick crosses the upright, and s are perimetrical grooves or notches at or near the ends of the sticks for securing the ends of the leaf-holding cord.

It will be seen by referring to Fig. 1 that rights with their sticks.

each complete hanger consists of several up- I prefer to make the hanger in three sections, as shown, though the number is dependent upon the height of the barn which it is desired to fill or the preference of the user.

G are boards or strips laid upon the tier (t at right angles therewith. These strips are preferably in pairs, as indicated in Fig. 2,the

two strips of each pair being at such distance apart as to admit the upper end of one of the uprights, (say two inches or a little more,) and the pairs being spaced in accordance with the size of the tobacco, (say eight or nine inches from one hanger to the next.)

The upper end of each upright which is to constitute the top section of a hanger, and which is to be suspended immediately from the strips G, is provided with a locking device which will admit of ready operation, either to suspend or to release the section,bya person below holding the upright by its lower end, and which will also be secure against any accidental detachment, which would result in considerable damage. The form of lock which I prefer is best shown' in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, and consists of a pivoted cross piece or lever, H, mounted in the upper extremity of the section F, so as to turn freely upon a pin, h. The pivot-pin is parallel with the sticks S, and the lever H consequently oscillates in planes transverse to strips G. One end, h, of the lever is heavier than the other and nor- 'mally hangs downward, and is held by any suitable stop, so that in such normal position said e nd projects slightly from the side of the upright, as in dotted lines, Fig. 4c. The inner corner of the lever is rounded, as shown. The lower end of the said upright of the up per section has a latch adapted for the ready engagement of the upper end of the upright next below. Such latch consists preferably of alink, J, pivoted in the lower end of the upright. Its outer end bar or cross-piece, j, hangs against the outer face of the upright and is at sufficient distance from its pivot to admit when horizontal the upperend of the upright next below between said cross-piece and the face of the upright in which the link is pivoted. It will be seen that this latch can readily be operated by reaching the second upright up from below and pushing up the link till it will admit the end of said second upright, whereupon the latter, which has the catch or notch Z is pushed up a few inches farther till the part j of the link drops into said notch. The third upright is attached removably to the lower end of the second, in the same or other suitable manner.

I have provided for holding the lower ends of the hangers, when they are in place, so as to prevent their oscillation or striking against each other. Various devices may be employed for this purpose-such as cords extending from one hanger to another along the row and secured to each, or rails perforated and adapted to be pinned to the similarly-perforated ends of the hangers; but I prefer the ineans showp in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, in which the hangers are at intervalssay every fifth one-provided with cross-pieces P, having vertical shoulder 10. On these pieces are supported strips or rods Q, having shoulders (or, in lieu of the latter, pins) forming recesses q. The latter are of such width as to easily receive the lower ends of the hangers. Thereare preferably two strips Q-one on each side of the row of hangersheld together and prevented from moving horizontally away from the hangers by the shoulders 19. The various rows may be connected, if desired, by rods at right angles to strips Q in a similar manner.

The manner of using my invention is as follows: The tobacco-sticks are loaded with leaves in any suitable manner, either before or after they are applied to the uprights F, preferably by means of a cord, 0, which is passed through the stems of the leaves, rests at its middle in notch s and is secured at its ends in notches s, Fig. 10. An operator takes one of the upper sections of the uprights F, the sticks of which have been loaded, and which section will be provided with a lever, H, and climbs with it upon the lower tiers or upon a step-ladder and introduces the upper end of the upright between. the strips G. Referrin g to Fig. 4:, it will be seen that the spaces are alittle wider than the uprights. Therefore, notwithstanding the projection of the lower end of lever H, as indicated in dotted lines, the upright may be passed up through said space with its right side (see said figure) in contact with the right-hand strip G. It is then moved into contact with the left-hand strip G, and then lowered. When the projecting and weighted end of lever H strikes the top of the latter and, resting upon the top of both strips, will sustain the upright and any desired load without danger of displacement. The next sec tion having been filled is attached by link J or other suitable connection to the bottom of the one already suspended, in the manner hereinbefore described. Three of these sections make one complete hanger, such as is shown suspended at the left hand of Fig. 1. A row of hangers being in place, the strips or rods Q may be applied, as hereinbefore described.

When the tobacco is to be removed, the hangers are taken down, section by section. The leaves and strings C may then be removed together, the latter being used to tie the leaves in bunches without being withdrawn from the stems.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination, in a sectional hanger, of a plurality of separate uprights suspended and attachable one to the other, as described, and the tobacco-sticks S carried by said uprights.

2. The combination of the tier a, the strips G, the uprights F, suspended from said strips, the cross-piece or lever H, and the tobaccosticks S, carried by their iniddles by said uprights, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the uprights havin g a series of lateral mortises, of the tobaccosticks held by their middles in said mortises and provided with the grooves s for the cord, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the tobaccohanger, ofthe gravitating lever H, pivoted in the same, and the strips G, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, With the suspended hangers, of the strips connecting the lower ends of said hangers to prevent oscillation, contact, and breaking of the tobacco-leaves.

6. In a tobacco-hanger, the combination of uprights provided with t0bacco-sticks,means,

substantially as described, for suspending the topmost upright, and latches for detachably connecting the uprights end to end and suspending them one from the other, as set forth.

7. The combination of the upper beams or tier, a, the rigid and central uprights, F, having suspension devices at their upper ends and, sustained by said tier, and having their lower ends at such height as to leave the lower part of the barn unoccupied, and the tobaccosticks S, secured by their middles to said uprights, the latter being removable, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

\VILLIAM S. \VOOTTON.

\Vitnesses H. N. Low, EDWARD STURTEVANT. 

